Eternal Love
by DelenaDJ
Summary: PART OF MY CANON COLLECTION. Nothing can separate their love, not Stefan, not time, not even a mystical seal. Desire. Heartbreak. Envy. Redemption. Fear. Rage. Love. It all resumes now.
1. Pilot

**Disclaimer: I do not own The Vampire Diaries or the producers' storylines! Here's a preview of the story due to my slower than usual updates.**

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Fog drifted through the woods of Mystic Falls in the early morning as Stefan Salvatore looked over his hometown from the roof of the Boarding House.

_For over a century, I have lived in secret…until now. I know the risk, but I have no choice. I have to know her._

**Desire.**

Stefan jumped down off the roof of his house.

**Heartbreak.**

"I don't know why I can't seem to get past this…to let go of the pain. It consumes me. I must have said I'm fine at least 37 times and I didn't mean it once," a brunette named Emma Kane wrote in her diary.

**Envy.**

"Is it working, Stefan?" Elena Salvatore, Stefan's sister-in-law, asked. "You're fooling yourself if you think you belong in their world."

**Redemption.**

_I wanted to change who I was. Create a life as someone new. Someone without the past, without the pain._

In the graveyard, Elena was hiding behind a stone angel, watching Emma.

**Fear.**

"Were you following me?" Emma asked.

**Rage.**

"Just stay away from Emma!" Stefan threatened Elena.

"Why thank you for the invitation, Stef," Elena smirked.

"It's her neck. Something bit her. She's losing a lot of blood," said Emma.

"I swore you'd receive nothing in this life but an eternity of misery. I don't plan on breaking that vow now," Elena hissed.

"Not here. I won't allow it."

"I can practically taste that girl's blood."

**Love.**

"I'm Emma," the human smiled.

"I'm Stefan."

"I know. We have history together."

**The Vampire Diaries, series premiere, Thursday on The CW.**


	2. Chapter 1: Prelude 1221

_For over a century, I have lived in secret, hiding in the shadows, alone in the world. Until now. I am a vampire. And this is my story._

In the stillness of the night, a blonde couple was driving down a wet road back to Mystic Falls, Virginia.

"An hour's drive to hear that crap. You know, it wasn't even a band. A guy with a guitar. An hour each way," said the man, Darren.

"He wasn't that bad," Darren's girlfriend, Brooke, replied.

"He sounded like James Blunt."

"What's wrong with that?"

"We already have a James Blunt. One's all we need."

"So why did you come?"

"Because I love you."

"Nicely done. What's with all the fog?"

"It'll clear in a second."

"Watch out!" Brooke yelled, seeing a figure in the road. Darren slammed on the breaks, but couldn't avoid the collision.

"Are you okay?" Darren asked as they screeched to a stop.

"We just hit someone! Oh my god!"

"Call for help." Darren left the car and walked to the woman in the road. He saw that she had a wedding ring on her hand. "Please be alive! Oh, my god." Suddenly, the woman woke up and bit into his neck.

"There's no signal! Darren! Darren?" Brooke asked, exiting the vehicle. With a loud slam, Darren's body collided on the top of the car. Brooke screamed and looked back to see if anyone was chasing her. When she turned around, she came face to face with Elena Gilbert. Veins crawled down from her eyes. Brooke ran, terrified, but there was no way she could escape a vampire, especially one as old as Elena. Brooke's screams resounded throughout the night as Elena dragged her up into the sky.

The following morning, Emma Kane and her brother, Sean, walked into the kitchen where their Aunt Chloe was hurriedly preparing for the day.

"Toast. I can make toast…I think," said Chloe.

"Coffee, Aunt Chloe. It's all about the coffee," said Emma.

"Is there coffee?" Sean asked.

"Your first day of school and I'm totally unprepared. Lunch money?"

"I'm good," said Emma as Sean took the money.

"Anything else? A number two pencil? I know I'm missing something."

"Don't you have a big presentation today?"

"I'm meeting with my thesis advisor at...now. Crap!"

"Then go. We'll be fine. You okay?" Emma asked Sean once Chloe left.

"Don't start." Emma sighed and behind her on the television, a news report was playing about the murder of Darren Malloy and Brooke Fenton. A few minutes later, Emma was driving with her best friend, Eliza, to school.

"So my grandmother is telling me I'm psychic. Our ancestors were from Salem, witches and all that, I know, crazy, but she's going on and on about it, and I'm like, put this woman in a home already! But then I started thinking, I predicted Obama and I predicted Heath Ledger, and I still think Florida will break off and turn into little resort islands. Emma! Back in the car," Eliza said, noticing her friend was distracted.

"I did it again, didn't I? I-I'm sorry, Eliza. You were telling me that…"

"That I'm psychic now."

"Right. Okay. Then predict something. About me."

"I see…" Suddenly, a crow hit the car and Eliza swerved, stopping safely. "What was that! Oh, my god! Emma, are you okay?"

"It's okay. I'm fine."

"It was like a bird or something. It came out of nowhere."

"Really, I can't be freaked out by cars for the rest of my life."

"I predict this year is going to be kick ass. And I predict all the sad and dark times are over and you are going to be beyond happy." Both girls smiled just as a crow squawked on a street sign.

At the school, Sean was at the back of the building, giving his friend Alex Holden some pills.

"Don't take more than two in a six-hour window," Sean told the girl.

"Hey, Alex. I knew I'd find you here with the crackheads," said Liam Blackburn.

"Hey," said Alex.

"Hey, Pete Wentz called. He wants his nail polish back," said Liam to Sean.

"Pete Wentz, huh? How old school TRL of you. Carson Daly fan?"

"Oh, Liam, be nice. That's Emma's little brother," Alex warned.

"I know who he is. I'll still kick his ass."

Inside the school, Eliza and Emma were walking down the hallway.

"Major lack of male real estate. Look at the shower curtain on Kelly Beech. She looks like a hot — can I still say 'tranny mess'?" Eliza asked.

"No, that's over."

"Ahh. Find a man, coin a phrase. It's a busy year." Emma waved to her ex-boyfriend, Dominic Holden, from across the hall, but he ignored her.

"He hates me."

"That's not hate. That's 'you dumped me, but I'm too cool to show it, but secretly I'm listening to Air Supply's greatest hits.'"

"Emma. Oh, my god," said Eva Valeri, approaching the girls and hugging Emma. "How are you? Oh, it's so good to see you. How is she? Is she good?"

"Eva, I'm right here. And I'm fine. Thank you."

"Really?"

"Yes. Much better."

"Oh, you poor thing," said Eva, hugging her friend again.

"Okay, Eva."

"Oh! Okay, see you guys later?"

"Okay! Bye!"

"No comment," said Emma as they walked away toward the main office.

"Hold up. Who's this?" Eliza asked, seeing the back of presumably a new student.

"All I see is back."

"It's a hot back."

"Your records are incomplete. You're missing immunization records, and we do insist on transcripts," said the school secretary inside the office.

"Please look again. I'm sure everything you need is there," said Stefan, compelling the secretary.

"Well, you're right. So it is."

"I'm sensing Seattle, and he plays the guitar," said Eliza.

"You're really going to run this whole psychic thing into the ground, huh?"

"Pretty much."

"Sean, good batch, man," Emma heard a guy say to her brother.

"I'll be right back," said Emma, seeing her brother walk into the bathroom.

"Please be hot," Eliza muttered. Emma walked into the boy's bathroom and grabbed Sean's face, looking into his eyes to see if he's high.

"Great. It's the first day of school and you're stoned."

"No, I'm not."

"Where is it? Is it on you?"

"Stop, all right! You need to chill yourself, all right?"

"Chill myself? What is that, stoner talk? Dude, you are so cool."

"Look, stop! I don't have anything on me. Are you crazy?"

"You haven't seen crazy, Sean! I gave you a break this summer, but I am done watching you destroy yourself. You know what? Go ahead. Keep it up. But just know that I am going to be there to ruin your buzz every time, you got it? Sean, I know who you are. And it's not this person. So don't be this person."

"I don't need this," said Sean as he left. Emma exited the bathroom and accidentally ran into Stefan.

"Uh, pardon me. Um...is this the men's room?" Stefan asked.

"Yes. Um, I was just, um—I was just—It's a long story. Just…" Quickly, Emma left. Awkward. Later in History class, Emma and Stefan exchanged a look. Emma then received a text from Eliza: HAWT-E STARING U. Emma smiled. After school, Emma walked into the Mystic Falls Cemetery to visit her parents' grave.

"Dear diary, I made it through the day. I don't know why I can't seem to get past this…to let go of the pain. It consumes me. I must have said I'm fine at least 37 times and I didn't mean it once. But no one noticed. When someone asks, 'How are you?' They really don't want an answer," Emma wrote in her diary. Suddenly, a crow appeared on a nearby tombstone. "Okay. Hi, bird. That's not creepy or anything. Shoo!" The bird then flew off. "That's what I thought." Scaring her, the crow reappeared and fog started to descend around the cemetery. Emma grabbed her bag and ran just as she thought she saw two people watching her. She tripped and when she got up, she saw Stefan in front of her.

"You okay?" Stefan asked.

"Were you following me?"

"No, I, uh, I just — I saw you fall."

"Uh-huh, and you just happened to be hanging out in a cemetery."

"I'm visiting. I have family here."

"Oh. Wow. Tactless. I'm sorry. It's the fog. It's making me foggy. And then back there, there was this - this bird, and it was all very Hitchcock for a second. That is the bird movie, right, the Hitchcock? I'm Emma."

"I'm Stefan."

"I know. We have History together."

"And English and French."

"Right," said Emma as Stefan pulled a leaf out of Emma's hair.

"Thanks. Nice ring."

"Oh. Um, it's a family ring, yeah. I'm kinda stuck with it. It's weird, huh?"

"No, no. It's just, I mean, there are rings and then there's that."

"Did you hurt yourself?"

"Hmm?"

"Did you hurt yourself?"

"Oh, uh, I don't know." Emma pulled up her pant leg and saw a cut gushing with blood. "Oh! Would you look at that? That is not pretty." Stefan turned around as his face changed. "Are you okay?"

"You should go. Take care of that."

"Really, it's nothing." Emma turned around, but Stefan had disappeared.

That night at the Mystic Grill, Sean encountered Alex.

"Hey, Alex," said Sean.

"Working," Alex replied as she took a plate of food to Dominic and Liam's table.

"Thanks, Lex," said Dominic.

"Do you need another refill?" Alex asked Liam, flirting.

"I'd love one."

"Please tell me you're not hooking up with my sister," said Dominic after Alex left.

"I'm not hooking up with your sister."

"You're such a dick."

"Hey, what's your deal?" Sean asked, catching up with Alex. "I mean, summer you act one way and then school starts and you can't be bothered."

"Look, Sean, I really appreciate all the pharmaceuticals, but you can't keep following me around like a lost puppy."

"When's the last time you had sex with a puppy?"

"Hey, keep it down. I don't want to tell the whole world I deflowered Emma's kid brother."

"Yeah, and deflowered and deflowered."

"We hooked up a few times in a drug haze. It's over. You gotta back off before you ruin things between me and Liam."

"Oh, come on, the guy's a total douche. He only wants you for your ass."

"Yeah? What do you want me for?" Alex asked, walking away. Across the room, Eva was filling Eliza in on what she had found out about the new student.

"His name is Stefan Salvatore. He lives with his uncle up at the old Salvatore boarding house. He hasn't lived here since he was a kid. Military family, so they moved around a lot. He's a Gemini, and his favorite color is blue."

"You got all of that in one day?"

"Oh, please, I got all that between third and fourth period. We're planning a June wedding."

Meanwhile at the Kane House, Emma was about to leave.

"I'm meeting Eliza at the grill," Emma called out to her aunt.

"Okay, have fun. Wait, I got this. Don't stay out late. It's a school night."

"Well done, Aunt Chloe," Emma laughed before she opened the door. She was surprised to see Stefan outside. "Oh."

"Sorry, I was about to knock. I wanted to apologize for my disappearing act earlier. I know it was...strange."

"No worries. I get it. Blood makes you squeamish."

"Um, something like that. How's your leg?"

"Oh, it's fine. Just a scratch, barely. How did you know where I lived?"

"It's a small town. I asked the first person I saw. Um, I thought you might want this back," said Stefan as he handed Emma her diary.

"Oh, I must have dropped it. I-thank you."

"Don't worry, I didn't...read it."

"No? Why not? Most people would have."

"Well, I wouldn't want anyone to read mine."

"You keep a journal?"

"Yeah, if I don't write it down, I forget it. Memories are too important."

"Yeah. I'm just gonna...umm, you don't have to stay out there." Stefan tried to enter, but he couldn't. He hadn't been invited in.

"I'm fine. Sorry, were you going somewhere?"

"Yeah, I'm meeting a friend. Do you want to come?"

At the Grill, Dominic was talking with Eliza.

"How's Emma doing?" Dominic asked.

"Her mom and dad died. How do you think? She's putting on a good face, but it's only been four months."

"Has she said anything about me?"

"Oh, no. So not getting in the middle. You pick up the phone and call her."

"I feel weird calling her. She broke up with me."

"Give it more time, Dominic."

"More time, huh?" Dominic asked as he noticed Emma enter the Grill with Stefan. Dominic got up and approached Emma and Stefan.

"Hey, I'm Dominic, nice to meet you."

"Hi. Stefan." A few minutes later, Emma, all her friends, and Stefan had gathered at a table.

"So, you were born in Mystic Falls?" Eva asked.

"Mm-hmm. And moved when I was still young."

"Parents?" Eliza asked

"My parents passed away."

"I'm sorry. Any other family?" Emma asked.

"I live with my uncle."

"So, Stefan, if you're new, then you don't know about the party tomorrow," said Eva.

"It's a back to school thing at the falls," Eliza added.

"Are you going?" Stefan asked Emma.

"Of course she is," Eliza answered.

When Stefan returned home that night, Zach Salvatore entered Stefan's room with a newspaper article.

"You promised," Zach complained.

"This was an animal attack."

"Don't give me that. I know the game. You tear them up enough, they always suspect an animal attack. You said you had it under control."

"And I do."

"Please, Uncle Stefan. Mystic Falls is a different place now. It's been quiet for years, but there are people who still remember. And you being here, it's just going to stir things up."

"It's not my intention."

"Then what is? Why did you come back? After all this time, why now?"

"I don't have to explain myself."

"I know that you can't change what you are. But you don't belong here anymore."

"Where do I belong?"

"I can't tell you what to do. But coming back here was a mistake." Stefan opened a cabinet where there were hundreds of journals with dates stamped on them going back to the 1800s. He pulled one out and looked at a tin photo, featuring two women. The caption underneath read, Elena and Katherine, 1864. Katherine eerily looked like Emma. The next night, Stefan arrived to a party in the woods and was listening for Emma.

"Just admit it, Emma," said Eliza.

"Oh, okay, so he's a little pretty."

"He has that romance novel stare. Stefan looked deep into her eyes, piercing her very soul." Before Stefan could walk over though, Eva intercepted him.

"Hey! You made it!"

"I did."

"Well, let's get you a drink."

"Well, I'm—"

"Oh, come on."

"So where is he?" Eliza asked Emma.

"I don't know. You tell me, you're the psychic one."

"Right, I forgot. Okay, so give me a sec. Grams says I have to concentrate."

"Wait, you need a crystal ball." Emma handed her a bottle. Eliza took it and touched Emma's hand. Eliza spaced out for a minute and abruptly pulled her hand back after coming back to her senses. "What?"

"That was weird. When I touched you, I saw a crow."

"What?"

"A crow. There was fog, a man…and a woman. I'm drunk. It's the drinking. There's nothing psychic about it. Yeah? Okay, I'm gonna get a refill." Eliza left. Emma turned around and saw Stefan behind her.

"Hi," said Stefan.

"Hi," Emma said, surprised.

"I did it again, didn't it?"

"Yeah."

"I'm sorry. You're upset about something."

"Oh, uh, no, it's- it's just Eliza. She's... You know what? Never mind. You're here."

"I'm here." A few minutes later, Emma and Stefan were walking cross a bridge, alone.

"You know, you're kind of the talk of the town."

"Am I?"

"Mm-hmm. Mysterious new guy, oh, yeah."

"Well, you have the mysterious thing going, too. Twinged in sadness."

"What makes you think that I'm sad?"

"Well, we did meet in a graveyard."

"Right. Well, no, technically we met in the men's room. You don't want to know, it's…it's not exactly party chit-chat."

"Well, I've never really been very good at, uh, chit-chat."

"Last spring…my parents' car drove off of a bridge into the lake. And I was in the backseat and I survived, but...they didn't. So that's my story."

"You won't be sad forever, Emma. I like Eliza. She seems like a good friend."

"Best friend in the world."

"And Dominic, he can't seem to, uh, take his eyes off of us."

"Dominic's that friend since childhood that you start dating because you owe it to yourselves to see if you can be more."

"And?"

"And then my parents died, and everything changes. Anyway, Dominic and I, together we just, I don't know, it wasn't, um, it wasn't…"

"Passionate?"

"No. No, it wasn't passionate…" Suddenly, Stefan's eyes began to change.

"Hey, um, are you okay? Um, your eye, it just, it's—"

"Oh, um... Yeah, no. It's, um, it's nothing. Um, are you thirsty? I'm gonna get us a drink," said Stefan, leaving.

Meanwhile in the woods, Alex Holden was walking around in the forest alone after having a fight with Liam and Sean. She turned around when she heard a noise.

"Sean? Is that you? Sean?" Fog descended around her as a woman stood behind her. Swift as lightning, she was attacked from behind.

Back by the main congregation of high school students, Stefan was walking around, looking for Emma.

"Hey! There you are," said Eva. "Have you been down to the falls yet? Because they are really cool at night. And I can show you. If you want."

"I think you've had too much to drink," Stefan said cordially.

"Well, of course I have. So—"

"Eva. You and me. It's not gonna happen. Sorry." Stefan left and found Emma sitting on a bench.

"I was wondering who abducted you, but now I know," Emma smiled.

"Is she like that with, uh, all the guys?"

"No. You're fresh meat. She'll back off eventually. Hmm. God, you gotta be kidding me!" said Emma, seeing her drunk brother walk into the forest.

"What is it?"

"My brother."

"The drunk one?"

"That would be the one. Excuse me."

"Need some help?"

"Trust me, you're not going to want to witness this. Sean! Sean!" Emma yelled, following Sean into the woods. "Sean, where the hell are you going?"

"I don't want to hear it!"

"Yeah, well, too bad!" Sean tripped and saw Alex's body, a bloody bite mark on her neck.

"Alex? No! Oh, my god, it's Alex!" Sean yelled.

"Oh my God!" Sean scooped Alex up in his arms and he and Emma walked back to the party. "Somebody help!"

"Alex? Alex, what the hell!" yelled Dominic, Alex's younger brother.

"What happened to her?" asked Liam Lockwood, the mayor's son.

"Eliza, call an ambulance!" Dominic yelled.

"It's her neck. Something bit her. She's losing a lot of blood," said Emma. As the scene unfolded, Stefan knew something was definitely wrong and ran away into the forest toward the Salvatore Boarding House. When he entered the house, Zach was in the study, looking over some documents.

"What's going on?" he asked.

"Someone else was attacked tonight, Zach, and it wasn't me." Stefan walked into his bedroom and a crow flew through the balcony window. When Stefan turned around, he sighed, seeing a woman leaning against the balcony wearing faded jeans, a white and orange top and cream leather jacket. "Elena."

"Hello, Stefan," the brunette smirked.

"Crow's a bit much, don't you think?"

"You think the crow was good? Wait till you see the fog," Elena chuckled.

"When'd you get here?"

"Well, I couldn't miss your first day of school for the bajillionth time. Your hair's different. I like it."

"It's been fifteen years, Lena."

"Thank God. If I had to sit through another day of the nineties, I might just pull my hair out. That horrible grunge look? Did not suit you. As your elder, Stefan, I feel it's important to tell you to stay away from fads."

"Why are you here?"

"What? I can't miss my brother-in-law?"

"You hate small towns. It's boring. There's nothing for you to do."

"I've managed."

"You left that girl alive today. That's very clumsy of you."

"Ah. That could be a problem…for you."

"Why are you here?"

"I could ask you the same question. However, I'm fairly certain your answer can be summed up all into one little word...Emma," Elena smirked. "She your new Katherine replacement? I mean, hey, I get it. For over a century, I've slept with anything with blue eyes just because it reminded me of Damon. Is it working, Stefan? Denying your nature? You're fooling yourself if you think you belong in their world."

"She's not Katherine."

"Well, let's hope not. We both know how that ended. Tell me, Stefan. When's the last time you had something stronger than a squirrel?"

"I know what you're doing, Elena. It's not gonna work."

"Yeah? Come on. Don't you crave a little?"

"Stop it."

"Let's do it. Together. This town's crawling with vervain-free humans. Or let's just cut to the chase. Let's just go straight for Emma."

"Stop it!" Stefan yelled.

"I can practically taste that girl's blood."

Dark veins appeared underneath Stefan's eyes and his fangs unsheathed.

"I said stop!" Stefan collided with Elena, throwing her out the window. However, when Stefan landed on the pavement, Elena had disappeared. Stefan got up and saw Elena leaning against the bushes.

"Hmm. I'm impressed. I give it a six. Missing style, but pleasantly surprised. It was good."

"You know, it's all fun and games with you huh? But wherever you go, people die."

"It's in my nature."

"It's not going to happen again. Not here! Elena, please. After all these years, can't we just take a break?"

"I swore you'd receive nothing in this life but an eternity of misery because of what you did to me. I don't plan on breaking that vow now."

"Just stay away from Emma."

"Why thank you for the invitation, Stef. Oh, where's your ring? Sun's coming up in a couple of hours, and, poof, ashes to ashes. Relax. It's right here." When Stefan grabbed his ring from Elena and put it on his finger, Elena grabbed Stefan by the throat and threw him against the garage. She then placed her stiletto heel on top of his chest, pushing him down. "You should know better than to think you're stronger than me. I'm five times your age. I wouldn't try it again. I think we woke Zach up. Sorry, Zach." Elena left Stefan, humming.

After a brief reunion with Zach Salvatore, Elena left for the woods and reached an underground tunnel whose entrance was obscured by some brush. She passed through the tunnel, lighting the multitude of torches along the way. The slender corridor then branched open into a large anteroom. A large stone slab stood on one wall, engraved with a pentagram. Elena moved her neck, working out the kinks in it, before resting her head against the slab. Using her powers of mind control, Elena's mind pierced through the seal and reached the mind of a desiccated vampire who she held close to her heart. She smiled at the scenery in his dream, a pleasant, sunny day at the falls. A stunning man with dark hair and blue eyes sat on the edge of the cliff. Elena ran to him and joined him, hugging him.

"Hey, Damon."

"Hey, baby. I missed you."

"I missed you too. You know if I could come here all the time I would, but…"

"No, you're right. It's more important that you work on getting me out of this godforsaken hell hole."

"How is the pain today?"

"Not as bad. The others are restless, won't frickin' stop moaning. Frederick tried to bite me."

"Bastard didn't know what hit him."

"You got that right. I managed to knock one of his teeth out with my foot." Elena nuzzled his neck and Damon wrapped his arm around her. "You're tense. What happened today?"

"Stefan."

"Ah. Baby bro. What'd he do now?"

"Nothing really, it's just…the situation is so unfair. He's having the time of his life while I'm miserable and you're stuck in here, suffering."

"Well, maybe if you actually told him I was in the tomb, he might help you."

"That idiot's the reason you're in here in the first place! I'm not telling him anything and risk screwing up my century-old plan! I've waited so long for this," Elena sniffled.

"Shh. Come on. Don't cry," Damon hugged her. "I hate it when you cry. Show me."

"Damon, you won't like what you see, the person I've become."

"Elena, nothing in the world could make me stop loving you. No matter how dark you have to go I don't care because I know who you really are. I know you're the kind, sweet girl who risks exposing herself by coming here whenever you get the chance to visit me in my dreams, to keep me up to speed on what's going around in the world so that when I get out of here, I'll blend in with society perfectly. You are the woman I love, who I plan to spend the rest of my eternity with."

"You're so sweet."

"Don't tell anyone. Show me." Elena rested her forehead against his and sent him all her memories of the day. "Hmm. I see. Emma. Why does she look like Katherine?"

"Katherine and Emma are doppelgangers, carbon copies of the original."

"Huh. You were mean and vindictive and spiteful." Elena turned her head away. "It's kind of hot."

"Damon," Elena laughed.

"What? It is!"

"I love you," Elena giggled before kissing him.

"And I love you." Damon rubbed his nose against hers. "I don't care what you have to do to get me out of here. Is that bad?"

"Probably," Elena replied before kissing him again.

"You're wearing your ring." Elena looked down at the antique diamond engagement ring.

"Why wouldn't I?"

"Technically, we're not married yet."

"I don't care. I'm a Salvatore. I'm yours."

"I promise when you get me out of here we'll have a proper wedding."

"That sounds nice."

"You have to go soon."

"I do."

"Well, then all I want to say is…don't worry about me. I don't care who you have to maim, kill, or even seduce to get this tomb open because I know who you are and I know you'll always come back to me. I know you're mine as I am yours. Until we meet again, my love." And with that Elena left Damon's dream. Tears trailed down her face as she woke.

"Soon, darling. I promise. Nothing can separate us. Not time and not this spell."

Meanwhile at the hospital, Dominic was sitting by Alex's hospital bed.

"Alex. Hey, it's okay. You're gonna be okay," said Dominic when his sister woke up. "Don't try to talk, okay? You're fine."

"Vampire," she muttered before losing consciousness. Dominic looked at her confused and then headed to the cafeteria to get some coffee. It was pretty empty this late at night, but the beauty of one visitor, of Elena who had left the tomb to initiate her plan, shocked him. As Dominic sat down to nurse his coffee and ogle the brunette, Elena looked up from her own coffee to look at the boy. She smiled at Dominic and he smiled back unaware of the darkness that lurked underneath this woman's human façade.


	3. Beast

In the dark forest of Mystic Falls, a man and a woman were camping in the forest when fog descended around their tent.

"Hey. Did you hear that?" the woman asked hearing a noise as they kissed.

"Hear what?"

"I heard thunder."

"There's no thunder."

"Are you sure? Because if it rains, then we won't be able to see the comet."

"It's not gonna rain, sweetie. Listen, I...got you a little something. It's back in the car. Don't you move."

"Stay dry."

"It's not gonna rain." A few minutes later, the woman heard a dripping noise on the tent.

"I knew it! I told you it was gonna rain!" said the woman as she left the tent. Taking a flashlight, the woman looked up and saw her boyfriend in a tree, blood dripping on the tent. She screamed and ran toward her car. She frantically tried to open the door, but it was locked. Suddenly, the car beeped as the doors unlocked. She looked around nervously and Elena dropped from the trees, killing her.

The following morning, Emma was writing in her diary.

_Dear diary, for the first time in a long time this morning feels different, like there's a change just on the horizon. I can feel it. For once, I don't regret the day before it's even begun. Because I know I'll see him again._

When Emma walked out of her room, ready to go to school, she saw Aunt Chloe looking in a mirror.

"Do I look adult? As in respectfully parental?"

"Depends on where you're going."

"Sean's parent-teacher conference. Hair up or down?" Chloe put her hair up.

"Sexy stewardess." Chloe then let it fall. "Boozy housewife."

"Up it is. You're feisty today."

"I feel good, which is rare. So I've decided to go with it. Fly free, walk on the sunshine, and all that stuff. Where is Sean?"

"He left early. Something about getting to wood shop early to finish a birdhouse." Chloe paused. "There is no wood shop, is there?"

"No."

"Yeah."

Sean was really outside Alexandra's room in the hospital.

"You can't be in here, hon. Visiting hours don't start till nine," said a nurse.

"I just...how is she?"

"She's lost a lot of blood."

"Yeah, but she's gonna be okay, right?"

"She needs her rest. Come back later. Come on," said the nurse, escorting Sean out of the room.

After history class at school, Stefan and Emma were walking in the hallway near the lockers.

"I brought it. Told you," said Stefan, handing her a book.

"Wuthering Heights by Ellis Bell. You know, I can't believe she didn't use her real name."

"All the Bronte sisters used pseudonyms. It was the time. Female writers weren't very accepted then."

"Where did you get it?"

"Uh, it was passed down. Through the family."

"Ah."

"I have lots of books. Go ahead. Keep it."

"Oh, no. I...but I would like to read it again. I promise I'll give it back."

"Okay."

Down the hall, Eva was talking to Eliza.

"I'm confused. Are you psychic or clairvoyant?"

"Technically, Grams says I'm a witch. My ancestors were these really cool Salem witch chicks or something. Grams tried to explain it all, but she was looped on the liquor so I kinda tuned out. Crazy family, yes. Witches? I don't think so." Outside, near the football field, Liam and Dominic were talking.

"I'm telling you. She was flirting with me," said Dominic.

"A super hot chick is eye-flirting you and you don't talk to her?" Sean then walked up to Liam.

"Hey, Liam. Hey, I'm sorry to interrupt. I was just wondering how Alexandra's doing, since you guys are so close. Is she okay?"

"She's fine. Now get out of here."

"How bad is she? Do they know what attacked her? Is she going to make a full recovery? Was she happy to see you? What room number was she in?"

"I'm gonna kick your ass."

"Yeah, you keep saying that, but when are you actually going to do it? Huh? 'Cause I vote for right here and right now," said Sean as he shoved Liam.

"Walk away, Kane. It's your final warning."

"No, this is your final warning, dick. I'm sick of watching you play Alexandra. If you hurt her one more time, I swear to God, I will kill you." Later that day, Dominic and Emma were talking about Alex and Dominic's concerns over Sean's behavior that morning.

"They're keeping her overnight to make sure there's no infection, but she should be able to come home tomorrow."

"That's good news," said Emma.

"Yeah."

"Did you get in touch with your mom?"

"Called and left a message. She's in Virginia Beach with her boyfriend, so...we'll see how long it takes her to come rushing home."

"Alex is lucky that she's okay," said Emma as Stefan listened into the conversation from a table.

"I know, and now there's talk of some missing campers."

"Did she say what kind of animal it was that attacked her?"

"She said it was a vampire."

"What?"

"Yeah, she wakes up last night and mutters 'vampire' and then passes out."

"Okay, that is weird."

"I think she was drunk. So what's up with you and the new guy?" Dominic asked, nodding to Stefan over by the picnic tables.

"Dominic, the last thing that I want to do is hurt you."

"You know, I'm...I'm actually gonna go back to the hospital. I want to be there when Alex wakes up, get the real story about last night." When Dominic walked away, Emma turned around and saw that Stefan had disappeared from the table. Inside Mr. Tanner's history classroom, Chloe was having a conference with the teacher.

"As Sean's teacher, I'm concerned. All right? It's the third day of school and he's skipped six of his classes."

"Mr. Tanner, are you aware that Sean and Emma's parents died?"

"Four months ago, a great loss. Car accident. Wickery bridge, if I remember correctly. And you're related to the family how? The, uh, mother's kid sister?"

"Younger sister."

"Right."

"Yes. Six classes? Are you sure? I mean that's kind of hard to do."

"Not when you're on drugs. It's his attempt at coping, Ms. Kane. And the signs are there. He's moody, withdrawn, argumentative, hung-over. Are there any other relatives in the picture?"

"I'm their sole guardian."

"Uh-huh. Could there be?"

"What are you suggesting, exactly?"

"It's an impossible job, isn't it, raising two teens?"

"It's been tough, but, no, it's not."

"Wrong answer. It is an extremely impossible job, and anything less and you're not doing it properly."

Later at the hospital, Dominic walked into Alex's hospital room and saw that his sister was standing in the corner.

"Alex, hey. Alex, it's Dom. Hey, what's wrong?"

"No! No!" Alexandra yelled when Dominic touched her. "Get off! No! No! No!" Dominic ran out of the room for a nurse. At super speed, Stefan entered the hospital room and compelled her.

"It was an animal that attacked you. It came out of the night and jumped you. You blacked out. It's all you remember."

"It's all I remember."

"An animal attacked you. You blacked out. It's all you remember."

"It's all I remember." Stefan left the room just as a nurse and Dominic entered the room again. Suspicious, Dominic left the room after seeing who appeared to be Stefan. He followed him and Stefan entered a room with blood donors and blood bags. His face began to change and he left as quickly as possible. Dominic entered the same room, looking for Stefan, but couldn't find him.

Outside the Mystic Grill, Emma, Eliza, and Eva were folding flyers for the Night of the Comet event tomorrow.

"Well, I was talking to Grams, and she said the comet is a sign of impending doom. The last time it passed over Mystic Falls, there was lots of death. So much blood and carnage, it created a bed of paranormal activity."

"Yeah, and then you poured Grams another shot and she told you about the aliens," said Eva skeptically as she turned her attention back to Emma. "So then what?"

"So then nothing," Emma replied.

"You and Stefan talked all night? There was no sloppy first kiss or touchy feely of any kind?"

"Nope. We didn't go there."

"Not even a handshake? I mean, Elena, we are your friends. Okay? You are supposed to share the smut."

"We just talked for hours."

"Okay, what is with the blockage? Just jump his bones already! Okay, it's easy. Boy likes girl, girl likes boy, sex!"

"Profound." Emma sat for a moment and then rose from her chair.

"Where are you going?" Eliza asked.

"Eva's right. It is easy. If I sit here long enough, I'll end up talking myself out of it instead of doing what I started the day saying what I was going to do."

At the Kane House, Sean walked into the kitchen. Chloe was waiting for him.

"I picked up dinner. Tacos. I had an urge for guacamole."

"No, I'm good, thanks."

"Eat anyway. It's a ruse. I want to talk." Sean started to leave. "Hey, you! Come. Sit." Sean rolled his eyes and sat down. "Back in school, freshman year, I could eat my weight in nachos, with extra cheese. It was my munchie food whenever I got stoned."

"You get high?"

"Did. Past tense. But, yeah. Loved it. Anything to get a little distraction from life... reality. And it worked. For a while. Never lasts, though. Hey, I'm not saying I wouldn't love to rail back and kick it," said Chloe as she opened the refrigerator door, "But with a thesis looming and a waistline expanding." Chloe closed the door and realized Sean had left when she wasn't looking. She sighed in irritation.

At the hospital, Dominic was sleeping in a chair when Alex threw a gelatin container at her brother.

"What the…" Dominic said as he woke up.

"Finally you're awake."

"Hey. How are you feeling? You look better. I was worried before. You really had me freaked out with all that screaming."

"Wait, what are you talking about?"

"You don't remember?"

"I feel fine."

"Good, good. Doctor said you could come home tomorrow. Alex, what attacked you in the woods?"

"An animal. What else could it have been?" Alex asked as Sean arrived.

"Hey. How do you feel?"

"I'm okay."

"I'm gonna go grab a coffee. Hey, Sean," said Dominic as he left.

"Why are you here?"

"I just wanted to see how you were doing."

"Did you see that look on Dominic's face? That was suspicion. I don't want people to find out about us, Sean."

"Well, you gotta get over that."

"Liam is finally showing some interest."

"You have to get over that, too. Do you see Mr. Concerned? Liam? Are you under there?" Sean asked, looking under the bed. "No."

"It's not cool for people to know. Okay? I'm older than you, and Dominic and Emma would freak."

"No one's going to suspect anything. Why wouldn't I check on you? I mean I'm the one who found you."

"You are?"

"Yeah, I carried you out of the woods."

"Thank you."

"Yeah, you're welcome."

When Emma arrived at the Salvatore Boarding House, she knocked on the front door and it opened.

"Hello? Stefan?" Emma called as she walked into the mansion. A crow flew into the house. Emma turned around and Elena was standing there.

"I…I'm sorry for barging in. The door was…open." She turned to see the door was closed.

"You must be Emma. I've heard so much about you from Stefan. I'm Elena, Stefan's sister-in-law." They shook hands.

"Stefan didn't tell me he had a brother…or a sister-in-law for that matter."

"Unfortunately, my dear husband is no longer of this world. And my brother-in-law isn't one to brag."

"I'm so sorry about your husband."

"It was a long time ago. Please, come. I'm sure Stefan will be along any second." She ushered her into the living room.

"Wow. This is your living room?"

"Living room, parlor, Sotheby's auction. It's a little tawdry for my taste. I'm more of a simple elegance kind of gal. I see why Stefan's so smitten. It's about time. For a while there, I never thought he'd get over the last one. Nearly destroyed him."

"The last one?"

"Yeah. Katherine, his girlfriend? Oh, you haven't had the awkward exes conversation yet."

"Nope."

"Oops. Well, I'm sure it'll come up now. Or maybe he didn't want to tell you because he didn't want you to think he was on the rebound. We all know how those relationships end."

"You say it like every relationship is doomed to end."

"I'm a pessimist especially when it comes to love." Elena then sensed Stefan behind her back, glaring daggers at her. "Hello, Stefan."

"Emma. I didn't know you were coming over."

"I know. I should have called, I just—"

"Oh, don't be silly," Elena interrupted. "You're welcome any time. Isn't she, Stefan? You know, I should break out the family photo albums or some home movies. But I have to warn you. He wasn't always such a looker."

"Thank you for stopping by, Emma. Nice to see you," said Stefan.

"Yeah, I should probably go," said Emma, immediately realizing Elena and Stefan had some issues. "It was nice to meet you, Elena."

"Great meeting you, too, Emma."

Emma moved to leave, but Stefan, currently glaring at Elena, was blocking her way.

"Stefan…Stefan?" Stefan moved to let her pass and Emma left the tense household.

"Wow. She's a looker. Spunk too. I like her. You, on the other hand, look pooped. Did you over-exert yourself today? Let me guess...hospital."

"Someone had to clean up your mess."

"Well, were you successful? Did the powers of persuasion work?" Elena asked, sauntering over toward Stefan. "Remember, if you don't feed properly, none of those little tricks work right."

"How long was Emma here?"

"Are you worried, Stefan? I have a question for you. Why is it you play your little game, 'I'm a high school human'?"

"I'm not playing any game."

"Of course you are," Elena scoffed, rolling her eyes. "We both know the closest you'll ever get to humanity is when you rip it open and feed on it," she whispered in his ear.

"What kind of game are you playing, Elena?"

"Guess you'll just have to wait and see, won't you?" Elena smirked and left the room, humming a tune reminiscent of Beethoven's 5th Symphony.

That night at the Kane House, Emma and Chloe were preparing dinner.

"He's on the rebound and has raging family issues."

"Well, at least it's an ex-girlfriend. Wait till you date a guy with mommy issues or cheating issues. Or amphetamine issues," said Chloe as Sean entered the house. "Sean? Sean, where were you?

"More stoner stories? Look, Chloe, I get it. You were cool. And so that's...that's cool.

"Oh, no, no, no!" Chloe said throwing an apple at Sean as he walked up the stairs.

"Ow! Why? Why...why did you do that?"

"Listen up! Quit ditching class or you're grounded. No discussion."

"Parental authority, I like it. Sleep tight." Chloe sighed.

The next day, Emma and Eliza were handing out pamphlets for the Night of the Comet in the Mystic Falls Town Square.

"He didn't call, huh?"

"Or text. But I realized we never even exchanged that stuff. We've never gotten to the texting part."

"That's an important milestone in any relationship."

"Isn't it? The timing is wrong, anyway."

"When is it ever right?"

"I'm not ready, Eliza."

"Who is?"

"At least I put myself out there."

"Is that what you're calling it?"

"What do you mean?"

"All I'm hearing is reasons why you can't."

At the Salvatore Boarding House, Stefan was getting dressed for the night of the comet celebration.

"What is Elena doing here? Why did she come home?" Zach Salvatore asked.

"'Cause I came home. She wants to make my life miserable. That's how she enjoys hers."

"Well, she's putting us all at risk. This girl in the hospital could talk."

"She won't. I took care of her."

"You're sure?"

"I'm not sure, Zach. I don't know how well it worked. I'm not as strong as Elena."

"So what happens if it doesn't work?"

"I don't know. I'll deal with it."

"Is she worth it, Uncle Stefan, this girl you came back for?" Stefan's silence was all the answer Zach needed.

At the Mystic Grill, Sean ran into Alexandra.

"Alex, what are you doing here?"

"Fighting with Robert about my schedule. You'd think getting ripped up by a rabid animal would merit an extra sick day."

"Are you feeling okay?"

"I hurt."

"Well, the doctor gave you something, right?"

"The kid stuff. Nothing with an 'o' in it. I think they were on to me." They both laughed and Sean gave her some pills.

"Here. Knock yourself out, literally."

"Thanks, Sean."

"So you gonna, uh, watch the comet later?"

"I hadn't really thought about it. But I could be talked into it. I'll meet you out there in a few," she said as Liam approached them.

"Hey, Alex. How you feeling?"

"Like you care," said Alex as she left. Liam noticed Sean looking at him mockingly.

"What are you lookin' at, Kane?"

Outside after greeting Dominic, Emma turned around to see Stefan behind her.

"Hi," he said.

"Hi." Emma walked away, still bothered by how Stefan acted yesterday.

"You know that comet…" said Stefan from behind Emma, "It's been traveling across space for thousands of years. All alone."

"Yeah, Eliza says it's a harbinger of evil."

"I think it's just a ball of...snow and ice, trapped on a path that it can't escape. And once every 145 years, it gets to come home. I'm sorry about yesterday. I wasn't myself."

"You seem to spend a lot of time apologizing."

"Well, I have a lot to apologize for. Yesterday, that wasn't about you, okay?"

"You didn't tell me that you had a brother or a sister-in-law."

"Elena and I are not close. It's, uh...it's complicated."

"Always. She told me about your ex, Katherine."

"What did she say?"

"That she broke your heart."

"That was a long time ago."

"When you lose someone, it stays with you, always reminding you of how easy it is to get hurt," said Emma, the death of her parents still raw.

"Emma..."

"It's okay, Stefan. I get it. You have no idea how much I get it. Complicated family? Check. Complicated ex? Check. Too complicated to even contemplate dating, double check. It's okay. We met, and we talked, and it was epic, but then the sun came up and reality set in. So..." Emma walked away.

Inside the Mystic Grill, Elena was having a drink when Alex saw her and walked over to get a closer look.

"I know you," she said.

"Do you? Well, that's unfortunate."

"Um…I don't…I don't know how, but…your face. Excuse me. Sorry." Alex left and walked into the restroom. Elena downed her drink and headed toward the restroom. After Alex took some pills, she looked in the mirror. Elena was behind her and attacked. Later, Sean approached Emma and her friends.

"Hey, has anyone seen Alex?"

"You're her stalker. You tell us," said Liam.

"I can't find her."

"She probably found somebody else to party with. Sorry, pill pusher, I guess you've been replaced."

"What's with the pill pusher?" Emma asked.

"Ask him."

"You wanna do this right now?" Sean asked.

"Are you dealing?" Emma asked, concerned.

"She's never gonna go for you," said Liam.

"She already did. Over and over and over again."

"Yeah, right."

"You slept with Alex Holden? I mean Alex Holden slept with you?" Eva asked.

"There's no way," Liam added.

"And I didn't even have to force her into it," said Sean.

"What the hell is he talking about, Liam?" Dominic asked.

"Nothing, man, just ignore him, he's a punk."

"You know what, how about all of you shut up and help me find my sister?"

"We'll check the back," said Eliza, leaving with Eva.

"I'll check the square," said Dominic.

"I'll come with you," Sean added.

"Oh, no, no, no. You are coming with me," said Emma, pulling Sean to the side. "So that's your game now, dealing?"

"I'm not dealing."

"Look, I'm sick of the tough love speech, Sean. It's clearly having no impact."

"You and Chloe, between the two of you. Enough already!"

"We can stop if you want. Send you to a therapist where you'll be forced to deal with it or to rehab where you'll sit in group and tell some stranger how you let your life fall apart. Or you could talk to me."

"I vote for none of the above," said Sean before walking away. Outside, Dominic ran into Stefan.

"Hey."

"Hey."

"Have you seen my sister?"

"No. Sorry."

"I can't find her. She's missing."

"I'll keep an eye out for her," said Stefan as he started to leave.

"Hey. I saw you at the hospital yesterday."

"Did you?"

"What were you doing there?"

"Visiting."

"Visiting? You know, Emma and I, we've known each other for a long time. We might not be together right now, but I look out for her. And I'll always look out for her." With his enhanced hearing, Stefan heard a scream nearby, followed by Elena and Alex's voices.

"You really have to stop screaming, darling. It is very irritating and I have a short fuse."

"No, please, stop. Don't..."

"Shh. I got you."

"Excuse me," said Stefan as he left. Stefan looked around and saw Elena and Alex on the ledge of a building. Stefan jumped onto the roof.

"Not bad. I don't think I've ever seen you jump so high. Have you been eating bunnies?" Elena smirked.

"Let the human go," said Stefan.

"Really? Okay." Elena pulled Alex toward the edge of the roof.

"No, no, no!" yelled Stefan. Rolling her eyes, Elena threw Alex to Stefan.

"Would you relax? I'm just having a little fun."

"This is your idea of fun?"

"You know, I don't need her to be dead, but…you might. Alex, what attacked you the other night?"

"I don't know. An animal."

"Are you sure about that? Think. Think about it. Think really hard. What attacked you?"

"A vampire."

"Who did this to you?"

"You did!" Alex yelled at Emma.

"Wrong!"

"Elena, don't," Stefan begged.

"It was Stefan. Stefan Salvatore did this to you. He's a vampire. A vicious, murderous monster," said Elena, approaching Alex and compelling her.

"Please, Elena. Please don't do this," Stefan pleaded.

"You should know better than to try to override my compulsion. I've got five hundred years over you, not to mention I've glutted myself on human blood for centuries." Elena pulled the bandage off Alex's neck and threw her into Stefan's arms. "Your choice of lifestyle has made you weak. A couple of vampire parlor tricks is nothing compared to the power that you could have, that you now need. But you can change that. Human blood gives you that. You have two choices. You can feed and make her forget. Or you can let her run screaming 'vampire' through the town square."

"That's what this is about? You want to expose me?"

"I want you to remember who you are!"

"Why? So what, so I'll feed? So I'll kill? So I'll remember what it's like to be family again? You know what, let her go. Let her tell everyone that vampires have returned to Mystic Falls. Let them chain me up, and let them drive a stake through my heart, because at least I'll be free of you."

"You always were melodramatic, Stef," Elena muttered. "Sadly, this isn't fun anymore. Come here, sweetheart. It's okay." Elena whispered into Alex's ear, removing her compulsion and placing a new one on her.

"What happened? Where am I? Oh, I ripped my stitches open," said Alex, perfectly fine.

"You okay?" Stefan asked.

"I took some pills, man. I'm good," Alex replied, leaving.

"It's good to be back," Elena sighed. "Think I might stay a while. This town could use a bit of a wake-up call, don't you think?"

"What are you up to?"

"You have no idea of the mayhem I'm about to unleash which is for me to know and you to…dot dot dot. Give Emma my best." She then jumped off the roof of the building into an alley, disappearing into the night.

Later, Stefan walked into the Mystic Grill. Dominic approached him.

"She said you found her wandering around."

"Yeah."

"So, um, thanks."

"Ugh, it's just so much drama. Ever notice how the druggies are the biggest attention whores?" Eva asked Eliza at another table.

"Yeah," said Eliza as Stefan approached them.

"Have you guys seen Emma?"

"I think she went home. I'm gonna give you Emma's cell number and her email. She is big on texting, and you can tell her...I said so," said Eliza as she handed Stefan a piece of paper. When Stefan touched her hand, she received a vision.

"You okay?"

"What happened to you? That's so rude. I'm sorry. Excuse me." Eliza hurriedly walked away.

"Yeah, she kind of wigs out. It's like her thing."

At the Kane House, Emma walked into Sean's room and saw Chloe searching through her brother's stuff.

"What are you doing?"

"I've become my worst nightmare. The authority figure who has to violate a 15-year-old's privacy. Jackpot. I see the hiding places haven't gotten any more creative."

"What brought this on?"

"Your ass-hat of a history teacher shamed me good yesterday."

"You got Tannered. Been there."

"'Discover the impossible, Ms. Kane.' Got it. Thanks. Like I didn't know I was screwing up."

"You're not screwing up, Aunt Chloe."

"Yes, I am. You know why? Because I'm not her. She made everything look so easy. You know, high school, marriage, having you. I can't do it. I'm gonna say or do the wrong thing, and he's gonna get worse, and it's gonna be my fault. It's impossible."

"This is just the fear talking. You're a little scared, that's all. We all are. I have to go do something. But are you going to be okay?" Chloe smiled and nodded.

At the Grill, Dominic was walking to his car. Liam had volunteered to take his sister home. Suddenly, Dominic heard a noise and stopped. He got to his car and dropped his keys. When he stood up, Elena was in front of him.

"Whoa."

"Sorry. Didn't mean to scare you."

"No, it's fine. I was hoping I'd see you again."

"I know." The two smirked.

At the Salvatore Boarding House, Emma rang the bell and Stefan answered the door.

"Hi," Stefan greeted.

"Hey."

"Would you like to come in?"

"The comet's actually this way." Emma walked out onto the porch and Stefan followed her. "Sorry for barging in. Especially after earlier."

"No, no. I'm glad you're here. The way we left things...I didn't like it."

"See, the thing is, I got home tonight planning on doing what I always do, write in my diary, like I have been since my mom gave me one when I was ten. It's where I get everything out, everything I'm feeling. It all goes in this little book that I hide on the second shelf behind this really hideous ceramic mermaid. But then I realized that I'd just be writing things that I should probably be telling you."

"What would you write?"

"I would write...'Dear diary, today I convinced myself it was okay to give up. Don't take risks. Stick with the status quo. No drama, now is just not the time. But my reasons aren't reasons, they're excuses. All I'm doing is hiding from the truth, and the truth is that...' I'm scared, Stefan. I'm scared that if I let myself be happy for even one moment that the world's just going to come crashing down, and I don't know if I can survive that."

"Do you want to know what I would write? 'I met a girl. We talked. It was epic. But then the sun came up and reality set in.' Well, this is reality. Right here." Elena smiled and they kissed.

At the Holden House, Elena kissed Dominic's stomach. All of a sudden, her face transformed and she bit into the screaming man's neck.


	4. We Will Rock You

When Dominic woke up, he saw his pillow was covered with blood. Elena was sleeping next to him in bed. He tried to get up and leave the room, but Elena sped in front of him.

"Good morning."

"Please…don't." He tried to run, but Elena flashed in front of him.

"Don't do that." He picked up a lamp. "Ah, ah, ah." He hit her with it, but it didn't make much of an impact.

"Get away from me." She threw him on the bed and he threw the pillow covered in blood at her.

"That wasn't very gentlemanly. Throwing a lamp at a lady. I truly hate the 21st century. Men have no manners. This could have gone a completely different way, darling." She smelled the pillow and her face began to change. She then attacked Dominic again.

Later that day after school, Emma drove up to the high school in a red 458 Italia with Dominic in the passenger seat to drop off her new toy for football practice.

"Wow. That must be the mystery girl from the hospital," said Liam to Emma.

"That's not a mystery girl. That's Elena Salvatore," Emma replied as Dominic kissed Elena.

"Salvatore as in Stefan?" Elena looked at their spectators and winked before driving off.

Later, Stefan exited his shower at the Boarding House, having washed away the sweat from football practice. Elena was sitting at a desk, reading Stefan's journal, her feet propped up on the table.

"How were tryouts? Did you make the team? Very Emerson, the way you reveal your soul with so many..." Stefan ripped the diary out of Elena's hands. "Adjectives."

"What are you doing here?" Stefan asked.

"I've come to apologize. I've been doing some thinking, some soul searching, and...I want us to start over. We need to put the past behind us. You're all I have left of Damon, and if you want to live a normal, happy human life, then I want that for you. Maybe I can do it, too. That I can learn to be a non-living living person. Maybe there's hope for both of us." Elena tried to keep a straight face, but it was impossible. "Oh, you should have seen your face."

"You know, it doesn't have to be this way, Elena."

"Of course it doesn't. I saw Emma today, BTW. That means 'by the way,'" said Elena, playing with a feather on Stefan's desk. "She was at cheerleading practice. She looked so perky in her little short shorts. Just...simmer down, I didn't even go near her. I snagged the quarterback. Ooh, that reminds me...I gotta run. I have a date. Sweaty palms. Wish me luck."

Later, it was very quiet at the Kane house dining room table as Emma, Stefan, and Eliza ate together. Eliza had been acting all weird around Stefan and Emma desperately wanted Eliza to like her new boyfriend.

"Did Tanner give you a hard time today?" asked Emma, breaking the silence.

"Well, he let me on the team, so I must have done something right."

"Eliza, you should have seen Stefan today. Liam threw a ball right at him, and..."

"Yeah, I heard."

"Why don't you tell Stefan about your family?"

"Um, divorced. No mom. Live with my dad."

"No, about the witches." Stefan immediately perked up at the mention of witches. "Eliza's family has a lineage of witches. It's really cool."

"Cool isn't the word I'd use."

"Well, it's certainly interesting," said Stefan. "I'm not too versed, but I do know that there's a history of Celtic druids that migrated here in the 1800s."

"My family came by way of Salem."

"Really? Salem witches?"

"Yeah."

"I would say that's pretty cool."

"Really? Why?"

"Salem witches are heroic examples of individualism and nonconformity."

"Yeah, they are," Eliza agreed proudly as the doorbell rang.

"I wonder who that could be," said Emma as she rose from her chair and answered the door. Elena and Dominic were outside.

"Elena, Dominic," Emma said.

"Stefan told me you two were doing dinner so we brought dessert," said Elena, holding out a cake.

"Hope you don't mind," Dominic added.

"What are you doing here?" asked Stefan walking to the door.

"Waiting for Emma to invite us in," Elena responded.

"Oh, yeah, you can—"

"No, no, no. She can't, uh... she can't stay. Can you, Elena?" Stefan interrupted. "We're just... finishing up."

"It's fine. Just come on in," said Emma. With a smirk, Elena entered the house.

"You have a beautiful home, Emma," Elena said, entering the house as well.

"Thank you," Emma returned after shooting Stefan a "what is wrong with you" look. When dessert was distributed, the group congregated in the living room.

"I can't believe you got on the team so late in the game, but good for you. Go for it," said Dominic.

"That's what I always tell him," Elena added. "You have to engage. You can't just sit there like a bum on a log and wait for life to come to you. You have to go get it. I'm just glad he's getting out of the house. That depressive phase Stefan went through was starting to worry me."

"We don't need to get into that right now, Elena."

"Oh, you know what, you're right, Stef. I'm sorry. The last thing I wanted to do was bring her up."

About a half-hour passed before Emma decided to clean up the kitchen, Elena joining her.

"One more."

"Oh thank you," said Emma as Elena handed her a glass. She dropped it, but quickly caught it. "Nice save."

"I like you. You know how to laugh. And you make Stefan smile, which is something I haven't seen in a very long time."

"Earlier, did you mean... Katherine?"

"Mm-hmm," Emma answered, placing a plate in the dishwasher.

"How did she die?"

"Katherine and my husband, Damon, both died in a fire. Tragic fire."

"Recently?"

"It seems like it was yesterday."

"She was beautiful. A lot like you in that department. She was also very complicated and selfish and at times not very kind. Quite like Stefan in that regard."

"Stefan is none of those things."

"How do you know? You've only known him for what? A few weeks? I've known him for years. I'd quit cheerleading if I were you."

"Why do you say that?"

"I saw you at practice. You looked miserable."

"You saw that?"

"Am I wrong?"

"I used to love it. It was fun. Things are different this year. Everything that used to matter doesn't anymore."

"So don't let it. Quit, move on. Problem solved. Ta-da."

"Some things could matter again."

"Maybe. But…seems a little unrealistic to me."

"I'm sorry. About Damon. You lost him too."

"Hey. Need some help?" asked Eliza, entering the kitchen.

"Sure, why not?" said Elena. A few minutes later, Elena walked into the living room.

"Hey, Dominic, Emma and Eliza are finishing up the dishes. Why don't you go see if you can help?"

"I'm not really a kitchen kind of guy, Elena."

"For me?"

"I don't think so." Elena frowned.

"Go see if Emma needs help in the kitchen," Elena compelled.

"You know what? I'm gonna go see if Emma needs help in the kitchen."

"Great." He then left. "I swear. Kids these days."

"They are people, Elena. He's not a puppet. He doesn't exist for your amusement, for you to feed on whenever you want to."

"Sure he does. They all do. They're whatever I want them to be. They're mine for the taking."

"All right, you've had your fun. You used Dominic, you got to me and Emma, good for you. Now it's time for you to go," Stefan ordered.

"That's not a problem. Because...I've been invited in, and I'll come back tomorrow night and the following night and I'll do with your little cheerleader whatever I want to do. Because that is normal for me."

The next night, the football game at Mystic Falls High was about to begin. Emma was walking to her car to get her jacket. After retrieving the clothing, she turned around to see Elena in front of her.

"You scared me. What are you doing here?" Emma asked.

"I'm hiding from Dominic before the big game."

"And why is that?"

"I needed a break. He talks more than I can listen."

"That could be a sign."

"Well, he's awfully young."

"Not much younger than you are."

"I don't see it going anywhere in the bigger picture. I think he'd drive me crazy."

"Dominic's been my friend since the first grade and that means something to me."

"Duly noted. I'm sorry if I make you uncomfortable. That's not my intention."

"Yes, it is. Otherwise you wouldn't put an alternate meaning behind everything you say."

"You're right. I do have other intentions, but so do you."

"Really?"

"Mm-hmm. The Salvatore Family has money as you saw by our ancestral home and suddenly you're all over my brother-in-law. I didn't think you'd be the type to be such a gold-digging whore."

"Excuse me?" Elena was going to compel her, but then smelled the vervain.

"If you think I'll let you anywhere near my Damon's money, the legacy he carved for the Salvatores, you've got another thing coming." Elena then walked away.

Fifteen minutes later, Elena found Stefan talking to Dominic. She hid in the shadows, listening in to the conversation.

"You gonna be able to play?" Dominic asked Stefan, having seen Stefan stop the fight between Sean and Liam.

"Oh, yeah. I'm good."

"Uh, what you did back there...you had Sean's back."

"Ah, he's a messed-up kid. Somebody's gotta look out for him."

"I know. This week at practice I was a dick."

"Had your reasons."

"No excuse." Dominic held out his hand and Stefan shook it. "Good luck tonight. We're lucky to have you." When Dominic left, Elena clapped.

"Isn't that nice? Stefan joins a team, makes a friend. It's all so, 'rah, rah, go team, yeah!'"

"Not tonight. I'm done with you." Stefan turned around to leave, but Elena appeared in front of him.

"Nice trick with Emma. I couldn't get in her head. I admit I was a bit surprised. Where'd you get the vervain?"

"Does it matter?"

"Guess I could just eat her."

"No. You're not gonna hurt her."

"No?"

"You won't kill her because as much as you want to hide it, you haven't turned it off. When we last saw each other, I was worried that you had no humanity left inside of you, that you may have actually become the monster that you pretend to be."

"Who's pretending?"

"Then kill me."

"Well, I'm... I'm tempted."

"No, you're not. You've had lifetimes to do it, and yet, here I am. I'm still alive. And there you are. You're still haunting me. After 145 years. Damon is dead." Elena's face turned stony. "And you hate me because you loved him and you torture me because you still do. That, sister, is your humanity."

"Salvatore! What the hell? We've got a game to play!" Coach Tanner yelled.

"If that's my humanity…then what's this?" Elena asked. She sped toward Tanner at enhanced speed and fed on him, killing him in the process.

"No!"

"Be warned, Stefan. Anyone, anytime, any place."

After the football game was canceled, Elena walked into her room and pulled out a tin photo of her and Damon. As the night passed on, she wept for the love she had lost.


End file.
